i reincarnated in to my Novel

The hallway was bustling with students, the chatter a sharp contrast to the unease settling in Dakota's chest. His steps faltered as his gaze locked on a group of five individuals further ahead. His heart raced. He recognized every one of them—four people who were his closest friends in his first life, and one who shouldn't exist anymore: himself.

Dakota (thinking): What is this? No, this can't be real…

The others in his group noticed his change in demeanor.

Henry: "Dakota? You're acting weird. What's wrong?"

Dakota clenched his fists, his breathing shallow. He didn't respond, his eyes glued to the group ahead.

Ava: "Hey, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

He took a shaky step forward, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dakota: "Stay here. Don't follow me."

The seriousness in his tone startled them, but before they could respond, Dakota walked toward the group.

The five figures were talking amongst themselves, oblivious to his approach. Dakota's old self—the confident and charismatic Michael Renard—stood at the center, laughing at something one of the others said.

Dakota (thinking): I thought I'd buried this part of my past. Why are they here?

He stopped a few paces away, his chest tight. This illusion was cruel, almost too perfect. None of them looked aged or different; they were exactly as he remembered. But what stood out most was their laughter—the kind of laughter he hadn't heard in so long.

Michael: "Alright, enough wasting time. Let's head to class before we're late again."

The others nodded, still chuckling.

As they turned to leave, one of them, a girl with sleek black hair and warm brown eyes, paused. Her gaze brushed over Dakota, her expression curious.

Emily: "Hey… do we know you?"

The others stopped, following her gaze. Dakota froze, his heart hammering in his chest.

Dakota: "No. I don't think we've met."

His voice came out steady, but inside, he was panicking.

Michael: "Hmm…"

Michael—his past self—studied him, a faint frown on his face.

Michael: "Weird. You look… familiar somehow."

Dakota forced himself to smirk, masking his unease.

Dakota: "I've just got one of those faces."

The tension in the air was thick, but Michael shrugged it off, turning to the group.

Michael: "Whatever. Let's go."

As they walked away, the black-haired girl cast one last glance over her shoulder, her brow furrowed. Dakota exhaled slowly, his hands trembling.

Behind him, Henry, Ava, and the rest of his group approached cautiously.

Ava: "Okay, what was that about?"

Amelia: "You told us to stay back, but you just awkwardly stared at them. Care to explain?"

Dakota avoided their gazes, his jaw tight.

Dakota: "It's nothing. Forget about it."

Henry: "Nothing? You looked like you were about to pass out."

Liam: "And why did that guy act like he knew you?"

Dakota clenched his fists.

Dakota: "Drop it. I said it's nothing."

The sharpness in his tone silenced them. He turned and started walking away, leaving them standing there.

Ava (whispering): "What's his problem?"

Henry (thinking): There's something he's not telling us.

---

Later that day, Dakota found himself alone in the school's courtyard, sitting on a bench beneath a tree. He stared at the ground, his mind swirling with memories he'd tried so hard to forget.

Dakota (thinking): They shouldn't be here. This isn't real… but it feels so real. What kind of illusion is this?

He remembered their faces, their voices, their laughter. It was too perfect, down to the smallest detail. And seeing his past self—so confident, so naive—filled him with an unsettling mix of nostalgia and bitterness.

Dakota (thinking): How much do they know? Is this some kind of test, or…?

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

Henry: "You gonna keep sulking here all day, or are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Dakota looked up to see Henry standing a few feet away, his arms crossed.

Dakota: "I'm not sulking."

Henry: "Sure looks like it."

Henry sat down beside him, his expression serious.

Henry: "Look, I'm not gonna pretend I understand what's going on with you, but it's obvious something's wrong. You're not acting like yourself."

Dakota didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the ground.

Henry: "If this is about those people we saw earlier, you can talk to me. I'm not gonna judge."

For a moment, Dakota considered telling him the truth—about his past life, about Michael, about everything. But the thought of exposing himself, even to Henry, felt impossible.

Dakota: "It's nothing, Henry. Just drop it."

Henry sighed, frustrated.

Henry: "You keep saying that, but it's clearly not nothing. Whatever it is, you're not dealing with it alone. Got it?"

Dakota glanced at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice.

Dakota: "...Thanks."

---

The next day, the group returned to their usual routines. But no matter how hard Dakota tried, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

In the middle of the day, during a break between classes, he spotted them again—Michael and his friends, standing near the courtyard. They were talking quietly, their expressions serious.

Dakota (thinking): What are they planning?

He considered approaching them again but decided against it. For now, it was better to observe from a distance.

As the day went on, the tension grew. It was clear that the illusion wasn't just about recreating his past—it was testing him, pushing him to confront the very memories he'd buried.

Dakota (thinking): If this is the dark mage's doing, they've gone too far.

By the end of the day, Dakota had made up his mind. He couldn't let this illusion control him.

Dakota (thinking): If they want me to face my past, fine. But they won't like what happens when I do.

Dakota thinking: and plus Henry has to face his past too, he has some enemies In This school... But I wonder on what should I do with my Friends from my past life, should I talk to them more or should I just not do anything at all? And what do I do with my past self?... This just became more complicated than it should be.